Yoke means



Sept. 15, 1936. s. B. HAS'ELT|N.E- 2,

7 YOKE MEANS Filed March 2, 1934 Patented Sept. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES YOKE MEANS Stacy B. Haseltine, Chicago, 111., assignor to W. H.

Miner, Inc., Chicago, 111., a. corporation of Delaware Application March 2, 1934, Serial No. 713,665

13 Claims. (Cl. 213-40) This invention relates to improvements in yoke means for connecting the coupler to the shock absorbing mechanism of a railway draft rigging.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient yoke means of the character set forth, designed to prevent drooping of the coupler head and maintain the coupler shank in proper alignment with the shock absorbing mechanism of the draft rigging.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a yoke guided for horizontal movement on the usual carry iron of a railway draft rigging and adapted to be connected to the ordinary coupler, means thereon embracing the shank of the coupler from below and above at spaced zones, respectively, at the front end of the yoke and at a distance inwardly from said front end for accurately guiding the coupler shank and bracing the same against tilting movement in a vertical plane.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective yoke means having a hood member adapted to slidingly receive the shank of the usual coupler, wherein the bottom wall of the hood is extended forwardly beyond the keyed connection of the coupler and yoke to provide a supporting shelf for the coupler shank, which shelf also serves to support and guide the forward end of the yoke on the carry iron of the draft rigging, and wherein the top wall of the hood is provided with a downwardly facing guide surface, to the rear of the guide shelf of the yoke, engaging the top of the coupler shank, thereby accurately guiding the coupler shank to prevent drooping of the coupler head without any danger of the shank binding between the top and bottom walls of the hood of the yoke.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a yoke embodying my improvements, the usual coupler being indicated in .dotted lines. Figure 2 is a front elevational View of the yoke shown in Figure 1. Figure '3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View of the front end portion of the yoke, the section corresponding substantially to the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

In said drawing, the coupler, which is of standard dimensions and design, is shown in dotted lines and is indicated generally by the character it. The coupler It! comprises the usual shank of substantially rectangular cross section having the coupler head H at the outer end thereof, the head being only partly shown in Figure 1. The

coupler shank is anchored to the yoke by the usual coupler key [2, shown in dotted lines, which extends transversely through the shank I'll.

In carrying out my invention I provide a yoke member having horizontally disposed, spaced top and bottom arms [3 and 14 connected at their rear ends by a vertical section I 5. At the forward end the yoke is provided with a hood portion defined by spaced vertical side walls l6l6, and spaced, horizontally disposed, top and bottom walls l1 and I8. The top and bottom walls I! and I8 form continuations of the top and bottom arms l3 and M, respectively. As will be understood, the usual shock absorbing mechanism, not shown, is disposed within the yoke and actuated thereby in both buff and draft in a well known manner. The bottom section of the hood extends forwardly beyond the top wall I1 thereof, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3. Said bottom section has a supporting ledge or shelf 19 at the forward end thereof for slidingly guiding the shank of the coupler H). The shelf -9 is offset with respect to the bottom wall 18 of the hood of the yoke and is connected to said bottom wall l8 by an upwardly inclined section 3210, The shelf I9 is provided with a pair of downwardly projecting, longitudinally extending ribs -2l2| which have their lower edges inhorizontal alignment with the bottom surface of the wall l8 of the hood. The ribs Zl-ZI serve to slidingly support the forward end of the yoke on the usual carry iron of the railway draft rigging.

The top wall I! of the hood of the yoke is spaced rearwardly from the ledge l9'of the bottom wall [8 of said hood. The wall I! is thicker than the arm l3 of the yoke, and, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3, is provided with a downwardly facing bottom guide surface 22 adapted to engage the top surface of the shank of the coupler I0. The guide surface 22 is preferably so designed that it is disposed some distance rearwardly of the shelf I9 of the bottom wall l8 of the hood-of the yoke, thereby being vertically opposed to the depression or recess formed rearwardly of said shelf 19. The side walls iii-I6 45 the top wall 11 of the hood of the yoke are spaced coupler upwardly so that the' shank may be inserted between the top and bottom walls of the hood of the yoke without interference. Due to the depressed or recessed portion of the bottom wall I 8 of the hood being disposed immediately below the guide surface portion "22 of the top wall I! of the hood of the yoke, the coupler shank is free to move inwardly and outwardly lengthwise of the yoke without any danger of the shank binding between the guide surfaces.

When the yoke has been operatively assembled with the other parts of the railway draft rigging, the front end of the yoke is supported on the carry iron of the car underframe' structure and will thus in turn support the coupler so that there will be 'no drooping of the coupler head, the weight of the gear within the yoke, together with the yoke, overbalancing the weight of the coupler head. As hereinbefore pointed out, inasmuch as' with gears having longer travel in buff than in draft wherein the tendency of the coupler head to droop is thus greatly increased. 7 V

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. Ina railway draft rigging, the combination with a coupler having a shank member; of a yoke connected tothe coupler shank, said yoke including a section adapted to enclose a shock absorbing mechanism, said section terminating in spaced top and bottom walls at the forward end of the yoke; a guide ledge at the forward end of j the bottom-wall adapted to be slidingly supported a coupler key; and a downwardly facing guide surface on the topwall of said yoke, said surface being offset downwardly with respect to said wall and having its front edge spaced rearwardly of the inner end edge of said guide surface of the ledge and spaced above the same. a distance corresponding to the height of the shank of the coupler.

Y 2. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a coupler having a'shank; of a yoke having spaced, longitudinally extending top and bottom arms connected by a vertical section at one end of the yoke; a hood at the other end of the yoke having spaced top and bottom walls and spaced side walls, said top and bottom walls' forming continuations of said top and bottom arms, respectively, said top wall being shorter than the bottom wall and having a downwardly facing bottom guide surface engageable with the top of the shank of the coupler, said side walls being provided with aligned coupler key slots having their front end walls disposed forwardly of --the front edge of said top wall, said bottom wall tire shelf being disposed forwardly of the front end walls of the key slots, thereby providing a recess rearwardly of said shelf directly opposed to said top wall of the hood, the. upper surface of said shelf and the bottom surface of said top wall being spaced apart vertically a distance cor responding to the height of the-coupler shank; and a key extending through the coupler shank and the slots of the yoke.

3. A yoke for use with a coupler having a shank of predetermined vertical height, said yoke hav ing top and bottom vertically spaced arms connected at their rear ends by a vertical section,

said bottom arm having a portion thereof projecting forwardly beyond said top arm, said projecting portion of the bottom arm having a top guide surface spaced a distance forwardly from and disposed in its entirety beyond the front end of said top arm, the top surface of said bottom arm being depressed-with respect to said guide surface, rearwardly of said guide surface, said depressed portion being of a width at least as great as the width of the coupler shank and ex tending rearwardly to an extent at least as great as the limit of rearward movement of said coupler shank, said top arm having the bottom surface thereof spaced from said guide surface of the bottom arm a vertical distance corresponding to the height of said coupler shank.

4. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a coupler having a shank; of a yoke, said yoke accommodating a shock absorbing mechanism therein and having the forward end portion formed to receive the shank of the coupler, said yoke having means for receiving a coupler key, said forward end portion of the yoke having a bottom shelf at the outer end thereof presenting an upwardly facing horizontal guide surface, a top wall presenting a downwardly facing horizontal guide surface, and an upwardly opening recess at the inner end'of said upwardly facing guide surface of the shelf, said recess being of a width at least as great as the width of the coupler shank and extending rearwardly of the yoke a distance to a point beyond the limit of rearward movement of the coupler shank, the front end of said top wall andsaid guide surface thereof being spaced rearwardly of the rear end of said shelf and the'guide surface of said shelf, said upwardly and downwardly facing guide surfaces being spaced apart vertically a distance corresponding to the height of the coupler shank, said front end of the yoke being open above said shelf. 7

5. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with a coupler provided with a shank; of a yoke, said yoke accommodating a shock absorbing mechanism therein and'having the forward end portion formed to receive the shank of the coupler, said yoke being provided with means for connecting the coupler shank thereto, said forward .end portion having a bottom wall section at theouter end thereof presenting an upwardly facing horizontal guide surface and a .top wall section "having a downwardly facing guide surface spaced rearwardly from the rear end of said upwardly facing surface and disposed in a plane spaced vertically from the plane of said upwardly facing surface a distance corresponding to the vertical height of the coupler shank, said forward end portion of the yoke having clearance space above said upward- 1y facing guide surface, exceeding in height the vertical height of the coupler shank and being of a length at least as great as said upwardly facing surface, said forward end portion also having a clearance space below said downwardly facing surface and to the rear of said upwardly facing surface, exceeding in height the vertical height of the coupler shank and extending rearwardly a distance at least as great as the coupler shank, each of said clearance spaces being of a width at least as great as the width of the coupler shank.

6. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a coupler having a shank; of a yoke connected to the coupler shank, said yoke having top and bottom guide means thereon engaging the top and bottom sides, respectively, of the coupler shank and closely embracing said shank, said top and bottom sides of the shank being engaged only by said guide means and said top guide means being disposed rearwardly of and spaced rearwardly from said bottom guide means.

'7. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a coupler having a shank; of a yoke connected to the coupler shank, said yoke being open at the front end to accommodate said shank and having top and bottom guide faces thereon, respectively engaging the top and bottom sides of the coupler shank at zones spaced with respect to each other, lengthwise of said shank, said top and bottom guide faces being the sole means on said yoke engaging the top and bottom sides of said coupler shank and the zone of engagement between said bottom guide face and the bottom side of the coupler shank being disposed forwardly of the zone of engagement of said top guide face and said shank.

8. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a coupler having a shank; of a yoke connected to said coupler shank, said yoke being open at the forward end to accommodate said shank, said open end portion having top and bottom wall portions, said wall portions being offset with respect to each other, lengthwise of the yoke, and spaced apart vertically a distance corresponding to the height of said shank to closely embrace the latter, said bottom wall portion being in the form of a shelf spaced forwardly from the front end of said top wall portion, the top and bottom sides of the coupler shank being engaged only by said top and bottom Wall portions of the yoke.

9. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a coupler having a shank; of a yoke connected to said coupler shank, said yoke having top and bottom arms between which the coupler shank is disposed, said top and bottom arms having top and bottom guide portions offset inwardly with respect to said arms toward the longitudinal center line of the yoke and spaced apart vertically a distance corresponding to the height of the coupler shank, said bottom offset portion being "disposed forwardly of said top offset portionland spaced therefrom lengthwise of the yoke.

.1 0. In a'railway draft rigging, the combination with a yoke having .a strap portion adapted to enclose .a shock absorbing mechanism; of a coupler having a shank, said shank being connected to the yoke; a hood member at one end of the yoke adapted to receive the shank of said coupler, said hood member being defined by spaced top and bottom walls and spaced side walls, said side walls having aligned coupler key receiving slots therein; a supporting ledge at the outer end of the hood forwardly of the slots of said side walls, said bottom wall being depressed with respect to said ledge, said depression being of a width at least as great as the width of the coupler shank; and a downwardly offset portion on the top wall of the hood, said downwardly offset portion presenting a guide surface, said surface in its entirety being spaced rearwardly of the inner end of said ledge and being spaced vertically from said ledge a distance corresponding to the height of the coupler shank.

11. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a coupler having a shank; of a yoke connected to said coupler shank, said yoke including a strap portion adapted to enclose a shock absorbing mechanism, said strap portion terminating in top and bottom walls at the forward end of the yoke adapted to receive the coupler shank therebetween; downwardly and upwardly offset surface guide portions on said top and bottom walls respectively, said guide portions being spaced apart vertically a distance corresponding to the height of the coupler shank and engaging the coupler shank from above and below and holding it in alignment with the yoke, said upwardly offset guide portion being at the outer end of the yoke and said downwardly offset guide portion having its front end edge spaced rearwardly from said upwardly offset guide portion.

12. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a coupler having a shank; of a yoke connected to said coupler shank and provided with a section adapted to enclose a shock absorbing mechanism, said section terminating in spaced top and bottom walls, said top wall having a downwardly facing bottom guide surface adapted to engage the top surface of the shank of said coupler; a supporting ledge at the forward end of the yoke, said guide surface and ledge being spaced apart a vertical distance corresponding to the vertical height of the coupler shank, said ledge being offset upwardly with respect to the bottom wall of the yoke and having its rear edge spaced forwardly from the forward end of the top wall of the yoke, the portion of the bottom wall of the yoke rearwardly of said ledge being depressed for its entire length, said depression being of a width at least as great as the width of the coupler shank; and slots in said yoke and coupler shank adapted to receive a coupler key.

13. In a railway draft rigging, the combination with a coupler having a shank; of a yoke connected to the coupler shank, said yoke having spaced top and bottom arms adapted to engage a shock absorbing mechanism; top and bottom walls on said yoke at the forward ends of said arms, said bottom wall having an upwardly facing guide surface at the forward end thereof adapted to support said shank, said bottom wall being recessed rearwardly of said guide surface, said recess being of a width at least as great as the width of the coupler shank, said recess extending rearwardly beyond the rearward limit of movement of the coupler shank, said top wall terminating inwardly of the front end of the yoke and having its front end edge spaced rearwardly from the inner end edge of the guide surface of the bottom wall of the yoke, said guide surfaces slots in said yoke rearwardly of said guide surface of said bottom wall.

STACY B; HASELTINE. 

